SOUTHERN Division frontrunner Paralympic faces its biggest challenge yet when it takes on Northern Division heavyweights Pasig Pirates and Laguna Heroes in the 2021 PICAP San Miguel Corporation-Ayala Land chess championships on Wednesday.

Bannered byJerlyn Mae San Diego, FM Roel Abelgas and reigning IPCA world champion Sander Severino, Paralympic swept its first seven assignments to take the solo lead in the Southern Division.

San Diego is the leading female player with 18.5 points on 11 wins, one and one loss, while Abelgas is eighth with 18 points on 12 wins , one draw and one loss.

Severino has 14.5 points on nine wins, three draws and one loss at board one.

The more difficult battles, however, will come from Pasig and Laguna.

The Pirates, led by GMs Roland Salvador and Darwin Laylo and WFM Sherily Cua, and the Heroes, bannered by GMs Rogelio Barcenilla, Jr. and John Paul Gomez and Jean Karen Enriquez, have also won their first seven assignments to share the lead with San Juan Predators.

San Juan also faces an acid test against Penang Panthers-Malaysia and SinQGApore.

Both the Malaysians and the Singaporeans are in the thick of the fight with identical 4-3 win-loss records.

Manila Indios Bravos play Sunrays and Iloilo Kisela Knights in other crucial encounters.

PCAP, the country’s first professional chess league, is headed by Atty. Paul Elauria as President-Commissioner, and Michael Angelo Chua as Chairman.

The tournament is sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), headed by Chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra.

Schedule:

Round 8 –San Juan vs. Penang, Laguna vs. SinQGApore, Pasig vs. Paralympic, Manila vs Sunrays, Isabela vs. Iloilo, Caloocan vs Negros, Rizal vs, Lapu-Lapu, Olongapo vs Surigao, Pengcheng vs.Palawan, Bangko vs. Toledo, Davao vs. Camarines, Pampanga vs. Mindoro.

Round 9 — SinQGApore vs. San Juan, Paralympic vs Laguna, Sunrays vs. Pasig, Iloilo vs. Manila, Negros vs. Isabela, Lapu-Lapu vs. Caloocan, Surigao vs. Rizal, Palawan vs. Olongapo, Toledo vs. Pengcheng, Camarines vs. Bangkok, Mindoro vs. Davao, Penang vs. Pampanga